Where
by janya.wrote.nightrose
Summary: Pages 262-263 of Breaking Dawn from Leah's perspective. Jared's encounter with Jake's pack. One-Shot.


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I rocket back into the clearing, reveling in the joy of the speed my legs have. Sad, when running fast is the only thing that makes your life worth living.

"Leah?" Jared says almost immediately, a friendly expression on his face. I mistrust it immediately, seeing as how I have no _friends, _and thus someone attempting to be _friendly _is almost certainly manipulating me.

I pull my lip back, baring long white teeth, and smile at him that way. The wolf way. It's less of a lie than my human sneer.

He doesn't react to my display of anger. I didn't expect him to. "Leah, you _know _you don't want to be here."

A growl rips from my stomach. Jacob- huh, he did phase, after all. If I were him, I'd want my claws readily accessible- shoots me a loaded glance which I ignore. My brother pads over to me, nudging his shoulder against mine and whimpering a little. Iignore, again.

"Sorry," Jared continues, doubling my mistrust. No one _ever _apologizes to me. I'm just a bitch, after all. If someone's sorry, they're lying. "Guess I shouldn't assume. But you don't have any ties to the bloodsuckers."

_I have Seth, _I think, though he can't hear me.

_We both know that's not why you're here, Leah._

_ Shut up. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. _I look quite deliberately down at the kid, and then up at Jacob's face.

Pantomime. I feel like an idiot. But I _really _like the whole separate-pack-minds thing. It has more than one advantage.

"So you want to watch out for Seth, I get that." Jared turns to Jacob, for one second, then back to me. "But Jake's not going to let anything happen to him, and he's not afraid to be here." Jared's face twists in disgust. Like me, he doesn't understand the appeal of palling around with leeches. Unlike me, he has no reason to run from the pack. "Anyway, _please, _Leah. We want you back."

Oh, I believe that. Since everyone's always been so fond of my company. I mean, people just seek me out, revel in every opportunity to spend time with me, adore my brilliant social skills…

My sarcasm is cut off by his next words. "Sam wants you back."

Pain lashes through me. I wonder if he has any idea just how much it hurts. Probably not, since none of my 'brothers' even get that I have feelings. That the reason I'm so insufferable is because I'm in agony seriously all the time.

I stifle my reaction to howl in pain. My tail twitches a little, but that's all the motion I reveal.

"Sam told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to."

This is the truth. I can recognize the tone of voice. He's earnest, carrying on a message word for word. I freeze solid so I won't break.

"He wants you home, Lee-Lee, where you belong."

For an instant, I can't even think. I can't even breathe.

Where I belong. Home. Lee-Lee.

_We belong together, Lee-Lee. Wherever you are, that's home._

We'd been talking about colleges, about going away. He was more eager to leave than I was, though we both planned to get away. And he'd said those exact words.

And Jared knew it. He knew it and he used it and it hurt me and he knew that, too.

But the thing was, it wasn't Jared. It was Sam speaking through him and that was the worst of all.

He wants me back, wants to fulfill his duty so badly, that he's willing to hurt me like this so I'll come running home where every instant destroys me.

Well, if there was any doubt in my mind that Sam hates me know, it's gone.

I just wish I could return the favor, but I love him too much.

With Jared, there's no such barrier. I'm yowling at him, screaming, cursing vilely. I'm vaguely embarrassed that my little brother has to endure the profanity, but beyond the rage and pain I don't feel much of anything.

When I've used every swear word I know and wished every possible harm on Jared, Kim, and their as-yet-non-existent descendants, Jacob speaks, slowly.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Leah belongs wherever she wants to be."

I growl in agreement. About time somebody mentioned that. Whatever happened to free will?

Problem is, where is that wherever?

I know exactly where.

Wherever Sam is.

_That's _where I belong.

I close my eyes and stand beside my new pack.

Where the pain is gone.

A poor second-best. Better than the alternatives.

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